Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Noor Azlan bin Ghazali (Pengerusi Lembaga Pengarah USAS Berhad)
A distinguished Malaysian economist, born on 17 June 1964 in Port Weld, Perak. He pursued higher education at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, United States, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Finance) in 1986, an MBA in Finance in 1988, and later a PhD in Economics in 1997. His academic career at the National University of Malaysia (UKM) began in 1988 as a lecturer in finance. Over the years, he held numerous leadership positions, including Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Dean of the UKM Graduate School of Business, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), and eventually the 10th Vice-Chancellor of UKM from 2014 to 2018. During his tenure, he introduced the “Challenging the Norm” philosophy and the iconic “Red Umbrella” symbol, which became synonymous with UKM’s culture of innovation and excellence. At the national level, he has contributed extensively to economic policymaking through the National Economic Action Council and the Economic Planning Unit. He continues to serve as Director of the Institute for Inclusive Development and Advancement Malaysia (MINDA-UKM), while advising various educational and economic institutions across the country.